After their successful WorldTour debut at Tirreno-Adriatico, MTN-Qhubeka will head for the Milan-Sanremo Classic in Italy on Sunday.
The team will become the first with an African licence to take part in the sport’s longest professional one-day race.
And, for the first time, a black cyclist from South Africa, Songezo Jim, will take on the 298km “Classica di Primavera” between Milan and Sanremo.
Team principal Doug Ryder says it’s an honour for the team to be invited to compete.
“Milan-Sanremo is an iconic race; the longest cycling Classic in the world and the biggest one-day race in Italy,” he said. “For most of our team, this race will be the biggest challenge they have ever faced in cycling.
“We will make history again with Songezo Jim becoming the first black South African to ever start a WorldTour race.
“Songezo and the rest of the team will race to support Gerald Ciolek, and hopefully bring him to the Cipressa at 275km without having to have done too much and then we will see what he can do.”
Team captain Ciolek proved his good form this spring with his stage win at the Three Days of West Flanders and his third and fourth places in the sprints at Tirreno-Adriatico.
Jim, 22, is looking forward to the opportunity to learn from one of the team’s more experienced leaders.
“I am very excited about it,” he said. “I am looking forward to learning from the older guys like Ciolek and Jay Thomson and getting some coverage for the team.
“It’s a big step for me. It’s a dream come true to start a WorldTour race. It’s not easy to get to this level and I have a long way to go, but I just want to be a sponge and absorb and learn as much as I can.”
